Sign.



G. F. DENNE.

SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZB. 1915.

72a erficzzr George 2 29/1/29 'fl g g 02201710 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. DENNE, 0F PUIJLMAN, ILLINOIS.

Specification of I.etters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed May 28, 1915. Serial No. 30,900.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE F. DENNE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pullman, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to signs, number plates and the like, and more particularly to a transparent sign whereon indicia such as letters, numbers or characters are adapted to be displayed by disposing the sign in front of a suitable illuminant.

More especially my invention is applicable for displaying the numbers of locomotives or engines upon the headlight. As is Well known the number-plates on locomotives become sooted and fogged shortly after being cleaned, owing to the great quantity of soft coal smoke and dust through which the locomotive passes and it frequently occurs that after a comparatively short run the number will be unreadable even in front of a high candle-power lamp owing to the oxidizing effects of the coal and other gases.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a sign that is so constructed that it is unnecessary to repaint the sign, and the parts whereof are so assembled that the characters thereon will not wear olf nor become efi'aced from frequent cleaning. Another object is the provision of a sign wherein the characters borne thereby are completely inclosed from the atmospheric and similar elements and which has a smooth glazed outer surface so that it may be readily and easily cleaned.

Still further objects are the provision of a sign that is clear and distinct in outline so as to be easy to read, is easy and simple to make, and is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture so that it may be retailed at a moderate price to the consumer.

I prefer to accomplish these objects and others by the means and in the manner hereinafter fully described and'as more particular] y pointed out in the claims, reference be- 7 ing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention shown detached from its holder or supporting frame. Fig. 2 is an enlarged trans- Verse section thereof taken on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the plates comprising my sign structure in superposed positions about to be assembled- Heretofore it has been found in making signs of this type the most brilliant effect is obtained by the use of a translucent plate such as-glass, porcelain or the like upon which the characters are painted with an opaque or nonstranslucent material or compound so that the light waves from the illuminating 'elementwill pass through the unpainted portions. It has also been found that when the sign is painted upon the polished surface of the plates the paint will soon wear off. I have ascertained after considerable experimentation that a ground glass or a glass treated with a sand-blast is most effective in a sign of this character because of the diffusion of the light wavesv passing through the unpainted portions and further the paint thereon will more readily adhere to the roughened surface thereby producing a sign of greater longevity.

In carrying out my invention I employ a front and a rear plate one of which is provided with a ground or sand-blast surface upon which the characters are painted or stenciled. For the purpose of convenience I have shown in the drawingsa glass front plate 5'of suitable'dimensions preferably of rectangular shape and the rear surface whereof is treated with a sand-blast to render the same capable of diffusing the light waves passing therethrough. Upon this ground surface I stencil or paint the characters 6 it is desired to display in reversed order similar to type face and I prefer to form the characters by painting around each of the same so that only the ground glass portion of the shape of the character dissign. This compound 7 is of an extremely sticky nature and I find it expedient to permit the same to become slightly dried so that-- it will be what is known as tacky and then superimpose upon the same the backing plate 8 which is of transparentglass and of a length and width slightly less than the ground-glass front plate 5 in order that the latter will overlap the backing glass plate at all points upon its sides and ends substantially as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. It is also desirable to provide a ground or sand-blasted border 11 on one face of plate 8 substantially parallel with its edges and co-extensive with its sides and ends so when the plates are superimposed the material 7 will readily adhere to the roughened portion and materially assist in uniting the two plates as well as sealing the edges thereof to keep out soot and the like.

Owing to the sticky, cementitious nature of the compound 7 the superimposed backing plate 8 will readily adhere to ing plate 5 and, as the compound has been permitted to become tacky before the superimposing takes place the compound will not spread and disfigure the sign characters.

I prefer to place a filler 9 of cementitious nature in the groove of recess 10 formed around the sign plates so as to firmly cement the edges together substantially as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawingsand thereby prevent soot and other oxidizing matter getting between the plates and marring the same.

While I have herein illustrated and described certain specific means for-carrying outvmy invention, it of coursewill be obvious, to others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, that numerous modifications and refinements of the structure disclosed are possible without materially departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, the rear plate may have its the back front surface ground or sand-blasted and the characters painted thereon reversed, in which event the front plate would be of transparent glass and superimposed thereon and the ground or roughened border may be omitted if desired, or both plates may have ground surfaces and placed with these surfaces opposing each other. I therefore desire it understood that all such changes are contemplated within the scope of my invention as ex ressed in the appended claims.

at I claim as new is 1. A sign comprislng a glass plate having light diffusing means thereon, a coating of non-transparent cementitious material upon one of the surfaces of said plate, and a transparent glass plate superimposed thereupon and adhering thereto by said material.

GEURGE F. DENNE. -i/Vitnesses:

C. J. SIBLEY, A. MUTHS, Jr. 

